Swine flu cases approach 800

The number of swine flu cases in the UK has risen to 797.

A further 47 people in Scotland, 42 in England and one in Northern Ireland have been diagnosed with the virus, said health officials.

Meanwhile an adult patient with the H1N1 virus is recovering in intensive care in Birmingham City Hospital.

And the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a sharp increase in cases in Australia may mean the infection has become a pandemic.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said there were currently 607 possible cases of swine flu still under investigation in UK laboratories.

The majority of new confirmed cases in Scotland - which now has a total of 311 - are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.

Ten people are being treated in hospital and three further healthcare workers have been confirmed, taking the total of NHS staff affected to 11.

Nineteen of the new cases in England are in the West Midlands, where four schools have been closed following outbreaks among pupils.

The HPA said on Tuesday that five schools were currently closed in England, while the Scottish government also reported five full closures.

Of the remaining new cases in England, 14 are in the North East, six are in London, two are elsewhere in the South East and one is in the East Midlands.

More than 1,200 people have contracted the virus in Australia - none fatally.

Officials from the WHO are now trying to establish whether a large-scale, community-wide outbreak has developed in the state of Victoria.